Special Offer

Editors' Review

Defragmenting your hard drive is a necessary part of owning a computer. It's why Windows now turns on its onboard defragmenter by default. However, the options in that program are limited. Defraggler outdoes it in every way imaginable. With quicker performance, more features and detailed statistics, this defragmenter is the only one you need.

One of the standout features Defraggler offers is that it can defrag files individually. If one or two of your programs are struggling, you can specifically target them in the process during a quick defrag. This increases their power as well as your computer's overall speed. When you're examining your drive, Defraggler gives you a clear, color-coded map. That, in addition to detailed info about your hard drive's overall health, is delightful for power users while being useful for the average folks. Though the program can sometimes hang at zero percent for minutes on end, it actually moves faster than most defragmenting programs when it's working on your drive. With quick, boot, and low-priority defrag modes, it will never get in your way. You can use your computer however you want as it runs.

With an unmatched feature set and quick defragging, it's hard to recommend any other defragmenting program. Even though there's a professional version of Defraggler that costs $30, this program isn't missing anything that could be worth that download. Plus, unlike just about every other program, it never asks you to download the full version. It's safe to say you'll never need to go back to the default option in Windows again.

read more +

Publisher's Description

Defraggler allow you to perform defragmentation of files on your hard disk. Defragmentation of your hard drive can significantly improve the performance of your computer. With this tool you can defrag exactly what you want, and drive map shows you blocks that are empty, not fragmented, or needing defragmentation, organizes empty disk space to further prevent fragmentation, and allow you to schedule defragmentation daily, weekly, or monthly.

What's new in this version:

Version 2.12.628 has added advanced crash reporting and scheduled defrags can now be prevented if specific processes are running.

Tested both Defraggler from Piriform and Auslogic Disk Defrag.Auslogic is fast but the Defrag and Optimized as well as the Boot Defrag does not move many files to the front of the disk as it's stated on the help file. Has less settings to customized the Defrag, therefore it most be using some kind of logic that leaves me with questions as to what it is doing.

Defraggler, has a few more customizations under settings for either Quick Defrag, but the regular Defrag, does follow some of those rules. I adjust the settings, so that everything reads under 1 MB. It's slower but at least I can see that the files I want in the faster part of the disk are being move there.I do a Defrag of FREE SPACE first and then a full defrag. It has the option to do a Boot Defrag as well. It's a little slower then Auslogic's but I think is due to the difference in how they work. At least with Defraggler I see where the files are moved.

Cons

There are a few cons for both.Auslogic tends to finish fast, but I don't see any changes after defraggin the drive. Less settings to check mark depending on what you want the program to take into account when Defragging.

Defraggler, you check mark the options you want and test different ways.

Bottom line, no matter which is used, although my preference is Defraggler at this time, Windows always tends to put the most used applications on locations of the Hard Drive that it feels are used more often based on the logic of it's own Defrag programs, Superfetch and Readyboot.

While is nice to see the map of the files, which Windows Vista and 7 no longer show, and the map looks nice and clean doing both defraf of free space and regular defrag, eventually Windows will move files in and out. Selecting VSS defrag, with either program, not always unlocks the files locked by Windows. Don't know the reason for this, as it works sometimes and not others.

Summary

It's possbile that Defraggler could see what Windows is doing with often open files that are kept in the C:\Windows\Prefetch, and just leaves those alone because after defraging all once, it does not want to move all those files and they show in Red as Fragemented.The other possibility is that since Windows has those locked, the program won't move them even if you use the VSS settings.

E-mail This Review

Thank You, !

Report Offensive Content

If you believe this comment is offensive or violates the CNET's Site Terms of Use, you can report it below (this will not automatically remove the comment). Once reported, our staff will be notified and the comment will be reviewed.